Issue 4, 2012

UPLC-MS metabolic profiling of second trimester amniotic fluid and maternal urine and comparison with NMR spectral profiling for the identification of pregnancy disorder biomarkers

Abstract

We report on the first untargeted UPLC-MS study of 2nd trimester maternal urine and amniotic fluid (AF), to investigate the possible metabolic effects of fetal malformations (FM), gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) and preterm delivery (PTD). For fetal malformations, considerable metabolite variations were identified in AF and, to a lesser extent, in urine. Using validated PLS-DA models and statistical correlations between UPLC-MS data and previously acquired NMR data, a metabolic picture of fetal hypoxia, enhanced gluconeogenesis, TCA activity and hindered kidney development affecting FM pregnancies was reinforced. Moreover, changes in carnitine, pyroglutamate and polyols were newly noted, respectively, reflecting lipid oxidation, altered placental amino acid transfer and alterations in polyol pathways. Higher excretion of conjugated products in maternal urine was seen suggesting alterations in conjugation reactions. For the pre-diagnostic GDM group, no significant changes were observed, either considering amniotic fluid or maternal urine, whereas, for the pre-PTD group, some newly observed changes were noted, namely, the decrease of particular amino acids and the increase of an hexose (possibly glucose), suggesting alteration in placental amino acid fluxes and a possible tendency for hyperglycemia. This work shows the potential of UPLC-MS for the study of fetal and maternal biofluids, particularly when used in tandem with comparable NMR data. The important roles played by sampling characteristics (e.g. group dimensions) and the specific experimental conditions chosen for MS methods are discussed.

Graphical abstract: UPLC-MS metabolic profiling of second trimester amniotic fluid and maternal urine and comparison with NMR spectral profiling for the identification of pregnancy disorder biomarkers

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
12 Oct 2011
Accepted
13 Dec 2011
First published
01 Feb 2012

Mol. BioSyst., 2012,8, 1243-1254

UPLC-MS metabolic profiling of second trimester amniotic fluid and maternal urine and comparison with NMR spectral profiling for the identification of pregnancy disorder biomarkers

G. Graça, B. J. Goodfellow, A. S. Barros, S. Diaz, I. F. Duarte, K. Spagou, K. Veselkov, E. J. Want, J. C. Lindon, I. M. Carreira, E. Galhano, C. Pita and A. M. Gil, Mol. BioSyst., 2012, 8, 1243 DOI: 10.1039/C2MB05424H

To request permission to reproduce material from this article, please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

If you are an author contributing to an RSC publication, you do not need to request permission provided correct acknowledgement is given.

If you are the author of this article, you do not need to request permission to reproduce figures and diagrams provided correct acknowledgement is given. If you want to reproduce the whole article in a third-party publication (excluding your thesis/dissertation for which permission is not required) please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

Read more about how to correctly acknowledge RSC content.

Spotlight

Advertisements